Celine Dion Opens Up About Her Vegas Return, Her South African Tutor & The Twins: 'I Can't Believe It'

December 9, 2010 03:19 PM EDT

Despite suffering from new-mom sleep-deprivation, Celine Dion is still displaying her heart of gold and platinum pipes. The multi-Grammy Award-winning artist, and mother of newborn twin boys, spoke with Larry King on Wednesday night about her fertility struggles, meeting Nelson Mandela, her return to Vegas and the challenges of being a working mom.

“Nelson and Eddy are doing really well. They’re six weeks old,” the superstar singer told Larry King of her twins, in a satellite interview on “Larry King Live.” “I still look at them and I can’t believe it.”

The French-Canadian crooner, who gave birth to the boys in October, said her pregnancy journey was challenging — especially after the discovery that she was initially pregnant with triplets.

“There was [sic] three babies, and nature took its course, and one little baby decided just to take a step back to give the two others a chance to survive very well,” Celine told Larry. “So, we don’t know what happened — we’re not trying to find out… You just have to look forward.

“But you still miss — I still think about the one that stepped back and is not here today. You always think of that,” she added. “I’m sure every woman who has that experience still has a feeling about the little one that’s not there.”

The double bundles of joy are named after two of Celine and her husband, Rene Angelil’s inspirations — Eddy Marnay, a French lyricist, and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela, whom Celine was thrilled (and prepared!) to meet on tour in 2008.

“I wanted to take a little history course before we left [for South Africa] because I wanted to know about the apartheid, and I wanted to know how great of a hero [Mandela] was,” she told Larry. “So, I met with a teacher and I learned much more… It was such an impact to meet with [Mandela]! What a hero. What a difference he made, and we decided to name one of our sons after Nelson Mandela.

“And for Eddy, that was another hero of our lives as well,” she added. “Eddy Marnay wrote five of my French albums,” she explained. “Two heroes in our lives, and we wanted our boys to grow and say, you know, ‘We’re named after wonderful people.’”

Despite her superstardom, Celine is not immune to the normal trials of motherhood – mainly a complete and utter lack of sleep.

“[I get] no sleep at all! It’s pretty amazing how we can survive with no sleep!” Celine proclaimed. “Actually my little [9-year-old] boy, Rene Charles, is a little sick right now… So, I want to be there and take care of him, and at the same time, we’re breastfeeding the babies every two and a half hours. No, let me rephrase that – WE are not breastfeeding the babies. I’M breastfeeding the babies!

“Sometimes I have 25 minutes left — do I shower, do I eat, or do I sleep? It’s up to me,” she laughed. “It’s a great challenge. It’s very, very tiring. It’s full of surprises, but it’s all with love, and it’s all amazing. All day I’m in my pajama[s]… so it’s overwhelming in a good way.”

The “Taking Chances” singer thrilled fans when she announced her March 15, 2011, return to Las Vegas, after “A New Day’s” 5-year Sin City run ended in 2007.

Celine is “very excited” about the new show, and said fans should expect to see more focus placed on the music and musicians this time around.

“It’s wonderful to be wanted and be loved again, and it’s wonderful to go back home [to Vegas] again,” she told Larry. “We’re gonna be with 31 musicians onstage. 31 musicians for a singer — it’s a dream come true! I mean, you might have that once in a while in a recording studio, but every night onstage with you? …I’m very, very happy.”

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